hydrotheace

Limited660 wrote:Tear apart any of the off the shelf "windows" laptops and then tear apart an apple and tell me which is easier. 30 screws to maybe get the case apart on a windows laptop and 10 to get access to everything inside on my 2010 15" macbook pro.

svrommelvs

Not an Apple fan myself, so I am going to ignore the "High end experience" debate of people who care more about what their computer looks like (seriously, someone cited "Unibody design" as a feature?) than what it can do. Instead, let's take a look some of the specs on the machine.

CPU - Nice 1st generation processor, and this particular i5 supports hyperthreading! Of course, it is also only sports 2 cores.

Display - Wonderful resolution, though I prefer a matte screen on monitors and gloss on televisions only. Purely preference.

RAM - 4 gb is fine for the average user, but a little disappointing for those who use Apple as workstations.

GPU - Its usable, but a stretch to call it any good. Most users aren't buying Macs as gaming machines, so I am not going to belabor this as others might.

Storage - Slow & small mechanical hard drive, not a great combination.

Optical - At least it has an optical drive, something omitted from newer models.

Expansion - Old computer means old ports. No USB 3.0, eSATA or Thunderbolt.

A nice device for Apple fans, but it shows its age. Workstation users will have to shell out if they want a work machine. Gamers and business users aren't interested in these machines anyway, so why fight it? All in all, its a nifty older machine--at the unfortunate same cost as a newer, better one.

testudoaubreii

If you're a computer gamer, then there's no point in looking at a Mac anyway, since most games are put out on PC only.

I mean, really, if you're going to find things to poke Macs about, then you should realize that comparing them to gaming rigs is kind of unfair. Heck, I do nearly everything on a nice desktop, with components I chose and no software Dell or whoever made me have. I'm not going to diss a Mac laptop just because I can't play Borderlands 2 on it, though. It's good for people to know that this laptop might not be for gamers, but putting it down for that seems a bit harsh (and also smacks of PC/Mac rivalry that's a little misplaced here).

twinxor

svrommelvs wrote:Not an Apple fan myself, so I am going to ignore the "High end experience" debate of people who care more about what their computer looks like (seriously, someone cited "Unibody design" as a feature?)

Yep. Having a well-built laptop that won't flex when you use it is quite nice, it turns out.

scotrinaf

tcushard

themacguy wrote:Late 2008 model. You really want a four-year-old computer? Better to spend an extra $550 and get the latest (which is from early 2011 and runs a quad-core i7). However, neither will take more than 8GB of RAM.

[MOD: Incorrect. This model was originally released April 2010]

Apple states 8GM max, but if you buy the right RAM you can run 16GB. I have the 2011, i7 version of this laptop, and I have 16GB. It works in both OS X and Windows 7 64 bit. Just be sure you do your research and get the correct RAM.

andrewhallze

I never understood why people buy laptops, especially ones made by the almighty crapple. It's like going to a car lot and seeing your dream car (Italia 458) and thinking to yourself- you know I could have that, but no I think I'll have the prius because it gets better gas mileage;

dmitrik4

hydrotheace wrote:Personally, I enjoy fixing my own computer and getting a sense of ownership from my custom built PC. I'm surprised at how little most people know about their computer, and I get the feeling that many companies capitalize on that fact. Its amazing how much money you can save by knowing how your computer works and how to fix it. I guess thats my issue with Apple and some other companies, its almost like they force you into their terms regarding repair and upgrades. Also, 3 days seems like forever for us PC gamers ;)

Let me guess: you probably bought your car from a dealer. And you probably take it to a shop for new brakes and suspension bushings? Personally, I enjoy fixing my own car and getting a sense of ownership from my custom built classic Citroen. I'm surprised at how little most people know about their car, and I get the feeling that many companies capitalize on that fact. ;)

clanecks

andrewhallze wrote:I never understood why people buy laptops, especially ones made by the almighty crapple. It's like going to a car lot and seeing your dream car (Italia 458) and thinking to yourself- you know I could have that, but no I think I'll have the prius because it gets better gas mileage;

Perhaps it's because Apple simply makes the overall hardware-GUI package more attractive? I've defended pc to death back in the day, but ever since I bought my girlfriend a MBP13, I've been slowly converted. For one, if I don't defrag my pc once every couple of months, performance slows noticeably. No such happenstance with Macs.

Anyway, as other users have said, the comparison between pc and Mac is more like DIY vs superior stock experience. Sure it's fun to tinker with your own heavily modded ricer of a car (commonly Civic), but sometimes driving a brand new Infiniti G37, albeit expensive compared to riced Civic, simply provides a better experience.

vbrentv

This is a kicks @$$ computer for sure, I have the 15" version of it and it is still super fast today for video editing, photograhy, and graphic design. Just because it is on sale now and refurbished doesn't mean it is a current version of Apple's MacBook Pro line. This model FC024LL/A was released April of 2010, meaning this have been upgraded with performance tweaks since then.

firebirdude

williamske

I am in for one. I was debating on getting the new 13 inch, but the retina screen doesn't do anything for me. I mean it's nice, but I do not edit videos or pictures, so useless. I like larger screens, and 1099 or 999 for a 13 inch screen which is essentially a netbook, doesn't fly for me. This is my 1st mavbook purchase, so I hope I made the right decision to but this and not a new new one.

jandwill

ljygiuy

themacguy wrote:Late 2008 model. You really want a four-year-old computer? Better to spend an extra $550 and get the latest (which is from early 2011 and runs a quad-core i7). However, neither will take more than 8GB of RAM.

[MOD: Incorrect. This model was originally released April 2010]

The 2011 MBPs can take 16GB of RAM even though they say they will only go to 8. I have 16 in my 15".

Soemthing that people always say is that Macs don't have a problem with viruses. Need I remind you of Mac Defender, which was terrorizing the Mac community just a year ago? And you talk about PC like it's the scum of the earth, and only used by people who can't afford a Mac. Heard of an Ultrabook? OMGWTF!? PCs can have aluminum bodies and 1080p screens too!? speaking of which, the screen on a mac is the same LED technology in other laptops that support the same resolutions, they just put a thick glass slab on top of it to make it seem higher quality.
Getting on the stability topic... The overall stability is completely dependant on the actions of the user, even on a mac. Personally, I like the fact that PC doesnt lock down the system files and administrative functions like some other companies I know. This way, you have the ability to fix the problem, by reverse engineering what caused it(you). (By reverse Engineering I don't mean taking the thing apart). If you have the ability to critically think, you can fix a problem that YOU CAUSED on a PC. These problems that I speak of are most likely virus related from stupid decisions that were made online, or system corruptions of screwing with files that you shouldn't be messing with.

I worked as a retail technician for 7 years, 2 years for apple, and 5 years for the geeksquad. I've since moved on the bigger and better things, but I will agree that apple techs have (just a little) better training, but only in mac repair, which most of the time results in a reformat and reload of the OS. I could probably train a monkey to do that, and would rather because it's a pain from a technical POV to just sit there and restore things over, and over, and over...you get my point. Also, someone else mentioned it, but HOLY CRAP the screws in those things. Being different sizes, and having 10000000000000000 of them is so pointless and is a terrible engineering design. They only do that to deter users from attempting a repair themselves, so you have to go spend more money with them when it does break. Because hardware is hardware. The only thing different hardware wise between a Mac and your average PC is the motherboard. Mac engineers their own proprietary MBs. Which means that HDD you had in your PC that failed, the mac has the same chance of failure there.

I'm not saying that PC is better than mac with all of this, I'm just trying to give insight as to why PC is at least competative for all those people that ride the mac band waggon.

Just because something is expensive doesnt always mean it's better.

I would like to close my statement with a reiteration of the proprietary nature of macs. If your going to get a mac, you may as well get everything mac while your at it, because it IS NOT universal like your PC.

JonTwelve

hydrotheace wrote:Personally, I enjoy fixing my own computer and getting a sense of ownership from my custom built PC. Also, 3 days seems like forever for us PC gamers ;)

yeah I completely get that too. I guess we all have our hobbies. I work with electronics and computers all day(windows) and don't want to continue that as a hobby when I get home. But I do all the work on my cars and wouldnt have it any other way!

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